Custer National Forest - Overview

Overview

The western sections have a mixture of pine, spruce and fir trees due to the increased altitude and more abundant rainfall. The grizzly bear, black bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and bison are all found in the western sections though they are not as abundant as in Yellowstone National Park to the south. Higher altitudes deep into the wilderness areas are above timberline and alpine conditions prevail. The tallest mountain in Montana, Granite Peak, is shared with Gallatin National Forest, as is the interesting Grasshopper Glacier, which has millions of grasshoppers that died approximately 300 years ago, entombed within the ice.

Within the forest are Native American burial grounds, pictographs and petroglyphs. For the plains Indians, the forest provided shelter and a stable food supply. Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are generally considered to be the first white Americans to visit the region. The Forest is currently divided into three Ranger Districts: Beartooth in Red Lodge, Montana; Ashland in Ashland, Montana; and Sioux in Camp Crook, South Dakota. Four National Grasslands were formerly managed by the forest as the Grand River, Cedar River, Little Missouri and Sheyenne National Grasslands. These units are now managed as the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, headquartered in Bismarck, ND.

There are over 30 vehicle accessible campgrounds in the forest, as well as numerous picnic areas. Over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of hiking trails are available with most being found in the western district. Though not plentiful with rivers and lakes, the waterways do provide some opportunities for fishing but little for boating. The forest headquarters is located in Billings, Montana, and most hiking and camping is done in the region south and southwest of Billings. There are local ranger district offices in Ashland and Red Lodge in Montana, and in Camp Crook in South Dakota.

In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Powder River, Carbon, Stillwater, Rosebud, Carter, Sweet Grass, Harding (the only county in South Dakota), and Park counties. Only about 6.2% of the acreage lies in South Dakota.